he played the baddest bad guy on tv, j.r. ewing. who else could have possibly delivered lines like these. >> revenge is never stupid, darling, it's the single best feeling in the world. a man has to learn to keep his tomatoes on top. >> larry was a brilliant actor beneath the sinister smirk. died on friday in a dallas hospital with his co-stars and best friends, linda gray and patrick duffy by his side. i talked to them in june. listen to what larry told me about playing j.r. do you like being, for what you were, the most evil man on television? >> well, you know, i don't think i was an evil man, i was just like a texas businessman, that's all. >> yeah, evil. >> they keep bringing that up. >> i'm just doing what people do for business. >> you can't start distancing yourself from being evil. j.r. was wonderfully evil. constantly scheming and plotting, even against his own family. that's evil. did you like the reputation in. >> of course i do, it's wonderful.